COVID-19, heart failure classifications, DOAC after bioprosthetic valves, and Medicare spending in the pandemic year Are the topics discussed by John Mandrola, MD, in this week’s podcast. https://www.medscape.com/twic I. COVID-19 Vaccination in Israel COVID-19 Vaccination Linked to Less Mechanical Ventilation https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/946568 BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine in a Nationwide Mass Vaccination Setting https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2101765 II. Heart Failure Classification Heart Failure Redefined With New Classifications, Staging https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/947048 Universal Definition and Classification of Heart Failure: A Report of the Heart Failure Society of America, Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology, Japanese Heart Failure Society and Writing Committee of the Universal Definition of Heart Failure https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cardfail.2021.01.022 Angiotensin–Neprilysin Inhibition in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1908655 Sacubitril/Valsartan Across the Spectrum of Ejection Fraction in Heart Failure https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.044586 III. DOACs In Bioprosthetic Valves -- DOACs Offered After Heart Valve Surgery Despite Absence of Data https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/947193 Off-label Use of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Patients Receiving Surgical Mechanical and Bioprosthetic Heart Valves https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2777141 Dabigatran versus Warfarin in Patients with Mechanical Heart Valves https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1300615 2019 AHA/ACC/HRS Focused Update of the 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS Guideline for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000665 Antithrombotic therapy in atrial fibrillation associated with valvular heart disease: a joint consensus document.... https://academic.oup.com/europace/article/19/11/1757/4098134 IV. Pandemic Slices Medicare Physician Spending in First Half of 2020: AMA https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/946984 You may also like: Medscape editor-in-chief Eric Topol, MD, and master storyteller and clinician Abraham Verghese, MD, on Medicine and the Machine https://www.medscape.com/features/public/machine The Bob Harrington Show with Stanford University Chair of Medicine, Robert A. Harrington, MD. https://www.medscape.com/author/bob-harrington Questions or feedback, please contact [email protected]